Euronews

“We pledge to God the great to be soldiers faithful to Allah and our homeland and to safeguard the values of the revolution.”

The vow is made by a group of rebel soldiers chanting in unison as they hold machine guns in attack position.

The scene features in a new video released to the Reuters news agency, which shows a recently-formed rebel brigade in Syria training volunteers and defectors to prepare them for battle.

Calling itself the Jasmine Brigade, it pledges to protect civilians and their property from attack by President Assad’s forces.

Recruits – mostly youth volunteers – are given training on weapons and how to attack government troops.

‘‘There have been individual mistakes committed by members of the Free Syrian Army and this has led us to reorganise ourselves in order to fight the battle in a stronger and more organised way,’‘ says an unidentified rebel commander.

The rebels are shown on a mission in Damascus.

A brief clash ensues as the brigade fires a rocket-propelled grenade to launch an attack on a government position.

The rebels quickly make their way back to base. Next time they say it could be a major battle.